It was 1939. The Nazis were ravaging Europe when a young Unitarian minister, Waitstill Sharp, answered a call at his office in Wellesley, Mass., that would change not only the life of his family but the course of history during the early dark days of World War II.

That’s the beginning of the story behind “Defying the Nazis: The Sharps’ War,” a new 90-minute documentary from Ken Burns and Artemis Joukowsky that premieres tonight on PBS. Get the rest of the backstory by clicking here to read the full report from TVWeek Open Mic writer Hillary Atkin.